


A Revised and Illustrated Treatise 



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Instructions how tn Properly Stack Bound Grain so as '■}% 
to Preserve, in the host passible manner, for 
THRESHING and MARKET, 



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OILLUSTRATEDO 

So as to Furnish a Comprehensive Uiew of the 
Theoretical Parts, 




JOHN N.'DeLAMATER, 

NORWALK, OHIO, 

1884. 



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A Revised and Illustrated Treatise 



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ictinns how to Properly Stack Bound Grain, so 
to FrBBBr-r, in the best possible manner, far 
THRESHING and URRKET. 

OILLUSTRATEDO 

as to Furnish ■- Comprehensit/j 
Theoretical F 




JOHN N. DELAMATER 
norwXLk, OHIO; 

1884. 






Copyright 1884 by 

JOHN N. DeLAMATER, 

All Rights Reserved. 



The Nobwalk Chronicle Print'. 



s. 



^PREFACE. 



So far as I am aware, this is an untried field 
of labor — a work which I have had under consid- 
eration for the last fifteen years; during which 
time the closest attention has been given to de 
tails of building, and careful observations made 
on results, when the stacks were being taken down. 
JOHN N. DsLAMATER. 



AN ELLIPSE. 




PLACING FOUNDATION. 

If convenient, make a foundation of rails, by 
placing three rails about four and one-half feet 
apart and parallel, and then add half or two thirds 
the length of a rail to each, and cover by laying 
rails cross ways, and finish by laying a large rail 
or post in the center lengthways. 

This will form a foundation large enough for ten 
or twelve large loads. If rails, poles or boards 
cannot be had for an entire foundation, endeavor 
to get something to support the heads of a few 
center sheaves; for if sheaves are set on end to 
commence a stack, the middle is apt to settle too 
much. 

COMMENCING TO BUILD. 

On the rail foundation, lay around the center 
in the form of an ellipse, with the heads lapping 
well across the center rail; lap half and continue 
to lay towards the outside until foundation is 
covered. Now commence at the outside and lay a 
course around, neither laying out or drawing in, 



except to correct any little error that may occur in 
the elliptical form of the stack; complete the 
courses to the center, but don't fill the middle too 
full ; if the outside is lower than the middle, lay a 
donble course around outside; keep your stack 
flat — full as high at outside as center; build the 
first load straight up, neither laying out or draw- 
ing in, if the stack is to contain ten or twelve loads ; 
(See figure 1) if eight or nine, lay the last course 
out a little. 

FIGURE ONE. 




LAYING OUT. 

If the stack is flat and as near an ellipse as the 
eye can judge, laying out and keeping the stack 
properly balanced will be very easy. Drive alter- 
nate loads on opposite sides of the stack ; this will 
help to keep the stack properly balanced. If the 
eye detects a place that seems to be lower than 
the general level, it will be found that it was 
caused by laying out more there than at other 



points; to remedy this defect, draw in the next 
outside course at the low point, six, eight or ten 
inches, according to the depression. The greater 
the depression, the more it should be drawn in, 
and the next inside course at the low point should 
be shoved out nearly to the buts of the outside 
course, (See figure 2) 

FIGURE TWO. 




then continue to build as though nothing had 
happened. If a high place should be observed, 
the next outside course should be laid farther out, 
and inside course at this point drawn well in. (See 
figure 3) 

FIGURE THREE. 




Glance frequently over the stack and see if the 
outside presents the appearance of an ellipse, and 
keep a sharp lookout for high and low spots, for 
they will throw the stack out of balance. If the 
middle is too full, the outside will slip out, and an 
undesirable job of propping will begin. Put in 
two-thirds of what is intended for the stack before 
commencing to draw in. 

FIGURE FOUR. 




Drive so as to leave a little space between load 
and stack. Don't let a stack stand over night at 
this stage if it can be avoided. (See figure 4) but 
put on the next two loads as quickly as possible, for 
the outside of the stack will settle rapidly. 



FILLING THE MIDDLE. 

Lay a tier of bundles through the central part 
half the length of the stack, alternating heads and 
buts, then lay a course around with the heads lap- 
ping across the middle tier; now another tier 
through the center, and two courses around it; 
then another tier at center and courses around, 
until the center is three or four feet 

FIGURE FIVE. 




,—10— 

higher than the outside, depending on size of 
the stack, and the last course laid laps half way 
from head to band on the outside course of the 
stack. It will be seen that while building the 
main part of the stack, the courses were laid from 
outside to center, and while filling the middle or 
putting in the stuffing, the courses are laid from 
center towards outside. Now commence outside, 
lay a course, heads out, half way from band to 
but on outside course; in small stacks omit 
last instruction; then turn buts out, lap half 
and lay to center; then lay a course around out- 
side, neither laying out or drawing in. 

Now comes a point that should not be overlooked : 
Lay a course, buts out, lapping half way from 
heads to band on outside course; 

figure six. 




then lap half and lay to center. 



The reason for laying the buts of second course 
half way from heads to band is to give the buts of 
the next outside coursp above a chance to rest firm- 
ly on the course below, leaving no unoccupied 
space; if the buts of second course were laid out 
to the band of outside course, then the next out- 
side course above, being drawn in, would rest one- 
third of the way from band to but, on the buts of 
the course below, leaving a space for rain to drive 
in and wet the stack. Draw in outside course rap- 
idly (See figure 6) ; lay buts of second course half 
way from head to band on outside course as long 
as staok top is large enougti; Keep middle well 
piled up. 

A stack can be drawn in very rapidly, without 
danger of taking in water from a protracted rain, 
even if the outside of the stack grows green, no 
sheaf will be found wet above the band, and the 
middle of stack dry, for the buts of outside course 
will form a thatch roof to protect the stack. 

The placing of a few top bundles is a matter of 
small importance. If a stack has been properly 
built it will receive but little injury if top bundles 
should blow off. A strand or two of wire, with 
sticks or stones at the ends to weight them down, 
will usually hold the top in place. 

Orecapitulation.o 

The first load being built straight up and flat on 



top forms a firm and secure base on which to build 
the upper structure. 

Laying out or putting in the bulge. — This is 
the most important part of the stack, for it con- 
tains the greater part of the grain; by laying out 
and keeping the stack Jlat, the work can be done 
rapidly, and when the stack settles the buts will 
hang down, for there is nothing to hold them up. 

FIGURE SEVEN. 




-13 

Filling the middle corresponds to putting rafters 
on a building to support the roof. 

SUGGESTIONS. 

I have found in the course of a long experience, 
that a foundation eleven or twelve feet wide and 
eighteen or twent} r feet long, and a stack built in 
the form of an ellipse, and so as to contain ten or 
twelve large loads, to be the most convenient and 
economical. Grain can be put into a stack of this 
size much more rapidl} 7 than in small stacks. If a 
stack is built much larger it will require more la^ 
bor to pass the bundles across the stack, and will 
have to be carried much higher before it is topped 
out, which takes time and hard work. 

The elliptical form I have found the best; 
with a load driven to the side of the stack, 
the pitcher is never very far from the stacker; the 
stack is easily kept balanced, and at threshing 
time the grain is readily got to the machine. In 
a round stack of the same size, the stacker gets 
farther away from the pitcher, and it requires more 
skill to keep a round stack properly balanced; but 
if a round stack, after it is finished and settled, 
looks like an egg standing erect on the large end. 



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that is good enough ; it will not take water, and 
looks well, too. 4 square stack, or one with cor- 
ners, is easily kept balanced, but in turning the 
corners there is too much fullness at the heads of 
the bundles, and when the stack settles there will 
usually be a sag on each side to catch water. 

Two stakes, one eight and the other ten rods 
away, and in line with the center of foundation, 
will sometimes assist the stacker in keeping his 
stack well balanced, for at a glance he can tell 
whether the center is in line with the stakes. A 
man may build, as his fancy dictates, either round, 
elliptical or square, but in all, the same general 
principles must be observed — the lower part of the 
stack built straight up; put in a bulge which set- 
tles down around and nearly conceals the lower 
part, leaving the center of the bulge high; filling 
the middle to support the center of the top. These 
are the principles on which good stacking depends 
If a man gets them well fixed in his mind and dis- 
cards the idea that he must keep the middle full 
from the ground up, he will have but little damaged 
grain, even in the very worst of seasons. Very 
small stacks should be built like ordinary stack 
tops. 



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A boy to hand bundles is usually more damage 
than good until a stack is half built, and then he 
should not be allowed to stand on outside course. 
If practical, drive alternate loads on opposite sides 
of the stack ; this is very desirable, but if, from 
the nature of surroundings, it is necessary to drive 
all on one side, draw the top of the stack over a 
foot or two towards the side where the unloading 
is done, and keep it a little the lowest; the opposite 
side will settle considerably the most, which will 
leave the stack straight up. 

FANCY STACKING. 

For a pyramid stack, build as usual up to within 
two or three rounds of where drawing in commen- 
ces, then draw in a little at center of sides and 
ends to bring the curves to straight lines; keep 
the corners well out, observing the form of a rect- 
angle in filling the middle, and finish to top. 

For a gothic stack, build an ordinary one until 
commencing to draw in, then draw in the oval cor- 
ners and build center of sides and ends straight up. 
For an X stack draw in sides and ends; 
build corners straight up. These stacks look very 
ornamental on a premium farm and will save well, 



— u 

but take more, time to build than ordinary stack 
tops. 

SAMPLE STACK. 

With some, the idea seems to prevail, that the 
middle of the stack should be kept full from the 
ground up. With the center high enough to pro- 
tect the stack after it is settled, it is impossible to 
lay out or even build straight up, for the outside 
sheaves are constantly slipping out, and the pro- 
cess of building rendered slow and tiresome, and 
when the stack is completed and settled, it will 
usually be found that the center has gone down so 
much and the outside so little, that the buts of 
the sheaves stick up and form excellent conductors 
to wet the stack. 

Usually at harvest the country is full of good 
stackers, and if, between that time and threshing, 
there is little or no rain, they live through and 
there is a good supply next year; but if, between 
stacking and threshing, a protracted rain occurs, 
vast multitudes are drowned, so that, at threshing 
time, but few good stackers are found alive. 






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